My 3 Year Old Won’t Try Any Food.

its easier said than done, but if you can be strong, you could just give him no choice. i couldn't get my kids to eat peanut butter and jelly or bologna and cheese sandwhiches. I grew up on them! Well, apparently my sitter didn't bow to them the way I do. One day my child asked for pb&J and I was floored! I asked and they told me, Miss Rosa MAKES us eat sandwhiches so now we like them. I thought, hhhmmm, give them no other choice? interesting concept! lol my kids run me.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/extremely-picky-eaters-st...

My son since he was a baby, was super picky with eating.
We never forced him or made him eat or used rewards or punishments.
He grew, is very lean and solid and healthy and developmentally on par and has always been in the upper 97th percentiles for growth.

Now at 5 years old, on his own, he eats a wide variety of things. He is also a 'grazer.' Meaning he eats little amounts throughout the day. My Husband is that way too. Versus, me and my daughter, we eat heartily at meals.
My son and daughter, also know their body'. own cues... for hunger or fullness. And they eat per their body'. cues. They do not eat out of emotional reasons or being forced or having to or for dysfunctional reasons. So that is good. They eat when hungry and stop when full. That is the healthiest way to eat.

Some children are also sensory sensitive... to textures etc. So, then they seem picky about foods. Many kids go through phases like that.

My friend'. son, is also like my son. Picky. BUT he is tall/lean/strong/solid/and very healthy and in the upper 95th percentiles for growth.

I never worried about my son'. "picky" eating. Nor made it an issue.
So he was not self-conscious about it. Nor we.

If others think you are a "bad Mom" because your son is picky, they are wrong.

My son does eat. Even if picky. And whatever I make or cook everyday, there is always something there that he will eat.

We never make eating a battle.
Nor set up our son for dysfunctional eating habits.

i don't have a solution that will completely turn your son around, but a couple ideas that occasionally work for me.

sometimes i manage to convince him it will be fun to help me cook (usually he'll get involved if he gets to crack eggs), and sometimes he'. more willing to try a new food if he had a hand in creating it.

rarely, but once in a while, arranging food into a fun design or calling it something silly will get his interest.

once, he tried a new food and liked it. it amazed him. he kept saying stuff like "wow--i thought i didn't like noodles, but i do!" sometimes if i remind him about how fun that was and about how he found a new good food, it will get him to be more open-minded.

usually, though, he just demands the usuals.

good luck!

I know it is frustrating, but the thing that would concern me more is that you didn't mention any fruits or veggies. Will he at least eat those, any kind? My daughter can be picky too, but she also loves all kinds of fruit, as well as raw carrots, celery and grape tomatoes if she has ranch dressing to dip them in. She will also eat simple salads with ranch dressing. She can be funny about certain meats but usually giving her some BBQ sauce to dip it in does the trick. I don't think that what he'. eating is so bad, but it would be better if you could get some fruits and veggies in there, as well as some whole-grain products. I'd be worried about him missing out on key nutrients and also getting constipated from not enough fiber. Sometimes offering some kind of "dippy sauce" (even if it'. just ketchup) will help.

Do NOT bribe or force him to eat anything - this will only work against you and will not teach him to enjoy trying anything new. He may have some issues with certain textures so I would be pushing for him to be evaluated further - get a second opinion from a different pediatrician if you have to. You could also at least make sure he is getting a multi-vitamin every day - it'. not ideal but it is better than nothing. But also realize that you don't have to get him McD'. chicken nuggets or keep cooking him hot dogs. If those are no longer an option, sooner or later he will get hungry enough to at least try a few bites of whatever is in front of him. He won't starve himself. Sometimes with our daughter, she may not be crazy about something but we tell her she still needs to eat X number of bites (usually the same number as their age) before she is allowed to get down from the table or have anything else.

Thank you so much for posting this - I have eagerly read all of the responses as my 3 yo son is very much the same! He will not eat any veggies - rarely he will eat broccoli or a cooked carrot. As a baby he ate EVERYTHING. As he has aged, he has slowly dropped all but a handful of foods. So to everyone who argues about introducing lots of food early - it doesn't always work! Right now he eats scrambled eggs with cheese, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese (although that seems to be going away), PB&J, applesauce, ravioli, croutons, Ritz and goldfish. That'. about it! I give him what we are eating + 1 item I know he will eat every night. I know I should just give him what we are eating and let him eat it or not but it'. really difficult to starve your child. I tried - we had a long holiday weekend where I decided enough was enough. On the 3rd day of him not eating, I caved. By that point he was whiny and lethargic but he'. beyond stubborn and he was nowhere near giving in!!! The best compromise I have come up with is giving him the absolute best of the foods he will eat - organic/low sodium mac and cheese, soy nuggets or hormone free chicken nuggets, etc. That way he is isn't eating total junk. I have started to question if he might be on the autism spectrum - he has some other indicators as well. Anyhow, sorry to babble, guess I needed to vent. Thank you again for posting and know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!

Some silly/odd things i've done. I read that following a new food with a sweet within 8 seconds helps encourage children to accept the food. So we did bite for bite. now she eats tons of spinach (and cookie). Not treat after meal, that actually trains them to want the sweet more.

I also started doing the "she ate it dance." She takes a bite, I dance around the kitchen. My son will do the "if you don't eat it I will," but that only works with him.

Good luck.

Start with something.

He likes yogurt?

Put vanilla yogurt, a scoop frozen yogurt, and fruit (strawberries, banana) into a blender. Make him a smoothie.

Then ask if he'd like to try another flavor. And make him a peach flavored smoothie.

Ask if he'd like to try some granola on his smoothie O. time.....

Kind of ease him into the adding of stuff.

Good luck.

I wish I had some advise - but just so you know - you are not alone on this. I have the exact same issues with my 3 year old. He wont even eat hot dogs but he does eat PB&J. No meat, no mashed potatoes, no veggies. He does eat fruit very well though. I am anxiuosly awaiting some good responses to your question!

I heard a parenting advice message on the John Tesch radio show many years ago. I know this sounds weird but it is supposed to be well researched.
At age 3 children will not try any new foods. This goes back to the days of pre-historic man when humans were in a hunter-gatherer society. At 3 yrs old a child would begin to pick berries and other food with less supervision. If the child did not recognize the food item he(she) would not pick it because it could be a poisenious berry.
The idea now is to offer kids as many new foods before they reach 3 as you can. (I know not much help now) As long as a child knows the food items they will eat them. The report also said that once a child reaches 4 to 41/2 he (she) will start eating new foods again.
Again I know this sounds weird but there are many things and responses locked in our brains that go back to ancient man.

I try not to make food a struggle. I would serve him something he might eat, something he will eat and a wild card. If you are eating string beans, put a bean on his plate. I would not bribe him but I'd also tell him he doesn't earn a treat if he doesn't eat healthy food.

Last night DD wanted gummies. I said they were a treat and to get gummies she had to eat some of her fajita meat (she ate deconstructed fajitas). She fussed. She cried. I told her that she could be excused from the table (and I would remove her if she didn't knock off the "ew, yuck!" business) but that it was her choice. No meat. No gummies. And I just went on with my meal and ignored it. She stared at those small bits of meat for a loooong time but eventually ate them, making faces all the way. When she was done, I thanked her for eating them and gave her the treat. We don't do desserts nightly so that was special.

If people ask why he won't eat, you can simply say, "This is his choice tonight." Eat what'. served or not eat. If you bring a snack, make it healthy. He eats the pizza served or your carrot sticks.

Now, I have an aunt that will make a kid sit there forever or will reheat food over and over and over and I don't go for that. But I'm also not going to cajole DD and feed her like a baby or make it a battle of wills. She has a choice. She eats or she doesn't, but if she doesn't, then there are rules like no treats, no filling up on milk all night, no snacks. Some nights she might see her sister have hot chocolate and DD doesn't get any - because she didn't eat a reasonable dinner.

I will do trades. My stepson has a weird food textures thing so certain raw foods are just bad news. He always had the option of a salad vs peas. Not worth the gagging. But he had to eat a veggie for a veggie. (This also partially stems from my being forced to eat overcooked canned spinach as a kid....) My DD doesn't like sauce, but will eat her pasta with butter. It'. no big deal to me to put sauce on the side. That sort of thing. We eat a LOT of fruit here, and knowing that DD will eat a whole pint of blueberries by herself, we say she needs to eat her entree first and then she can have the fruit. If she eats a ravioli, for example, she can get a few blueberries.

DD also likes to shop and help cook. Maybe get he picky eater involved in the menu or prep.

I think that they're at an age where they want control and food is something they can control. Our job is to find a balance between starvation (true starvation is unlikely) and overeating on junk, without going crazy or feeling like we have to bribe every bite.

The flip side is if DD says she'. full, she'. welcome to ask to be excused. I will never make her clear her plate for my sake. I offer little bits so she can have seconds, but I don't want the firsts to be overwhelming.

And, sometimes, we make a game. SD, bless her, will say, "Oh, Dad! Can I have a string bean? Oh, please!" and then DD will wonder what she'. missing out on the string beans. Or we'll pretend not to see DD eat and say, "Wait...I put four raviolis on that plate. I'm sure I did! What happened? It'. a mystery!" Then DD will eat another one and I'll turn to DH and say, "Weren't there three raviolis? I'm sure there were! Are you eating DD'. ravioli?" DH will, of course deny it and DD will giggle like a lunatic.

What has worked for me in the past is to take my son on an day trip/ outing where I pack only foods I want him to try. That way there is literally no other choice and he can take it or leave it. Eventually he gets hungry enough to eat it and discovers he likes it after all!
If your son actually gags/throws up i'd have him tested for allergies and sensory issues before getting tough with him about it.

First off, you are not a "bad mom". If your son has always been like this, he most likely has some sensory issues. My son never would take a bottle and had a great deal of difficulty transitioning from baby food to table food. Even now, he won't eat "complicated" food. That is, food that has many ingredients, layers, or textures. The reason I say this is for you to let go of your guilt and don't force him or shame him. He really has no control. Does he go to preschool? What helps my son is seeing other kids all eating the same thing. He will eat things at school that he wont eat at home. Sometimes I do have to feed him because although he will eat pasta with tomato sauce and coconut oil, I do have to feed him or he will take forever and then not eat anything at all. My son also wont eat veggies but drinks a green fruit and veggie juice called "Green machine" by Naked. Plus, he likes fruit, especially crunchy fruit like apples. Keep offering to your son and always encourage one tiny bite. Make sure you keep up your end of the bargain and don't make him eat more than one tiny bite unless he wants to eat more. Usually when my son eats the bite he says it'. yucky and says he doesn't want more but you just keep trying. Make sure he takes a good multi-vitamin. I take my son to the grocery store with me and ask him pick out the food that looks good. This is helpful at the deli because he can see and taste the items before buying. Also, if it really worries you, you can see a speech or occupational therapist.

My MIL had a famous battle of the wills with my husband when he was about that age. She offered to make him a choice of a fried egg or something else. He chose the egg, then refused to eat it. She put it away and excused him from the table. The same egg came out and was reheated for dinner, breakfast, lunch and dinner until he conceded to eat it. Hubs has never again refused food.

My mother on the other hand, was a veritable short order chef. We were picky, thin, and sickly, and she would bend over backwards and slave over the stove to make dish after dish that we'd pick at, eat only half heartedly, or downright refuse.

can you sub our close approximates? instead of crackers, bagel chips, or toasted french bread, or melba toast? instead of hot dogs sausage, or hanburger that'. shaped like a hot dog, or turkey dogs or chicken sausage? instead of cheese tofu slices? instead of fries sweet potato fries, then gradually maybe zucchini fries, and other breaded fried veg? if he eats yogurt, vanilla pudding is probably a safe bet.

I also liked someone else'. suggestion of an outing on which the available foods change. My mom would take us for long days at the beach. The salt air, and the energy we burned playing, and the heat of the day would have us hungry and willing to eat just about anything.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

Your son is just like mine! he hardly eats.. its drives me crazy! i was so happy yesterday he tasted 2 bites of scrambled eggs! Everyday i try to have him taste what were having for dinner and some nights he will have a bite others he will have yogurt and oranges for dinner.. i try not to cater too much but then i feel bad when he doesnt it so i make him what he does it and i know he probably realizes that i do that but i cant help it. it feels good to know im not alone! :)

Your son sounds so much like mine. My son is almost 8 now and it is not really any better. He eats more of a variety than your son, but it is only a limited list of things he likes. He has to try one bite of something new and each and every time he hates it. He also gagged at things a lot when he was a baby/toddler. If you can ever make any progress please let me know what you did!!! We always serve a variety of foods and I make sure there is one thing he will eat. Well...it'. been his entire life of not getting much better at this. 8 years. It'. very frustrating. I will tell you that it is not you. I have a daughter who is a toddler and she will eat and/or try ANYTHING. She eats pretty much just whatever I am eating. All the tricks people say work great with her (reintroducing something over and over, having something to dip your food into, always serving variety, etc). None of this worked with our son. It is a texture thing I think...he is just super sensitive to textures. He WANTS to like more foods at times and he tries hard but he just can't do it. Almost every night he will eat a tiny bit and then say he is full (or if he does not like what is on his plate he just says he is not hungry immediately). I KNOW he is not full. It is very hard. I hope your son gets better with time.

Always give at least two piles on his plate -- one something that he knows like cheese, and one new, like raw carrots. Give him half his usual serving of cheese. In order to get seconds, he has to have a good bite of the carrots. He is not allowed to gag and spit it out -- he has to take a bite small enough that he can swallow it in order to get the rest of his meal. It'. OK to use meal-like bribes like seconds, but do not use bribes like candy or cookies. In fact, having junk food around gives your kid too many options -- he'll try to keep his tummy empty so he'll have room for dessert. Be careful not to offer a sweet breakfast either.
Also let your son help with dinner preparation for the family -- ask him to help cut up veggies or fruits (it'. OK if these do not actually get put into the family dish -- cutting them up is interesting in itself -- and most of the time kids will try to eat something if they are cutting it up when they are hungry).
At home, it'. OK to play with food a little -- cut it into funny shapes or kids' initials, pretend broccoli is trees and the kids are tree-eating dinosaurs, or try to eat with chopsticks.

One of my kids would be like this if I let her. Fortunately, she'. the second child (the older one eats EVERYTHING - very adventurous), so we never thought to cater to her whatsoever. Since she was tiny, she gets what we're eating. Some nights she eats, some nights she doesn't, I don't comment either way (except to praise her when she tries something new and enjoys it). Your son is old enough now that he understands what you're telling him, so maybe when you're planning your menus for the week, involve him a little bit. Ask him, "Would you rather have beef stew or pasta with meat sauce?" (Or whatever the choices are) Then have him go shopping with you. Have him help you in the kitchen in whatever way he is able. When it'. dinner time, serve him whatever you're having. If he eats it, great. If not, don't comment on it, but also don't get up and make him a different meal than everyone else is having. Children will not starve themselves. (Our pediatrician told me this, and it turns out he is right!) Sure, he may not eat for a night or two, but eventually he will be hungry, and he will realize that maybe the pasta with meat sauce is preferable to going to bed hungry again! The one concession I will make for my daughter is that she doesn't enjoy things mixed together - so I'll serve plain pasta, with the sauce next to it. She eats it all now, just not together. :)